Here are my quick hits following the Devils' 4-0 W vs. NYR, heading into tonight's opportunity to clinch the playoffs vs. BOS:
Big 4-0 W
It was great to see the Devils close out the season series vs. NYR in the same way they've done so all season against them: in dominant fashion. In addition to not conceding a single goal at 5v5 in each of the four games, the Devils’ PP% of 42.9% (6/14) was the best in any season vs. NYR in the franchise’s history. Marky, who was outstanding in all four starts, made some franchise history, too. His .963 Sv% and 0.99 GAA on the 109 shots he faced in the season series were both the best of any goaltender vs. NYR. He also became the second goaltender to shut out NYR twice at home, joining only Brodeur in 2003-04. It was pure domination from top to bottom!
Marky Back on 🔥
Nope, I’m not done hyping up Marky just yet, and nor will I be after this article... because Rachel and I will be going in-depth on his recent play during tonight’s pregame show. More specifically, we are going to deep dive into some of his stats since March 26, in which Marky's won four consecutive starts for the first time since his streak of 6 Ws back in December – when he went 10 straight starts without a regulation loss (longest streak of his career).
During this current stretch, Marky has recovered 25% of dump-ins — the 4th highest rate of any goaltender. This elite aspect of Marky's game that comes with having his confidence – stopping dumped-in pucks and making a successful first pass – has allowed the Devils to break out with the 8th-highest exit rate off his first touches in this span, in addition to frustrating and disrupting the opposition's forecheck.
In my books, goaltending will likely end up being the biggest X-factor come playoff time, and for that reason, it’s been especially a relief to watch “Vintage Marky” run away with the crease again at this time of year. Hopefully, he extends his personal win streak to 5 games tonight!
Time to Clinch!
Well, Devils fans, it’s no secret that there are two big storylines everyone is eyeballing ahead of tonight’s game at the Rock.
The first is that the Devils have an opportunity (their sixth opportunity of the season...) to finally put an end to that lingering 800+ day drought without a 4-game W streak. It's been great to see the Devils build some consistency down the stretch here, especially at home, but this streak, curse, whatever you want to call it... needs to end tonight!
Then, yes, what really has everyone frothing at the mouth is the opportunity to officially punch your ticket to the playoffs with at least a point tonight.
To complete both tasks, they’re going to have to do so against a dangerous BOS team that’s already been eliminated from playoff contention and is playing loose hockey right now. Yes, it’s been a struggle (to say the least) for Boston since the middle part of March. But look no further than their 5-1 W on Saturday against your likely first-round opponent, CAR, as a prime example of why you can never afford to take a team for granted. To reiterate, there is no such thing as an “easy game” in the National Hockey League, so the Devils have to bring their A-game again right from the opening puck drop.
Be sure to tune in to tonight's pregame show as I chat with Nico in pregame warmups! Then, Rachel and I discuss Marky's last 4 starts and deep dive into the sustained PP success without Jack and Dougie. It all starts at 6:30 p.m. on MSG!
Let's Go Devils!
-Sal
